The last few days of the summer transfer window could see a significant departure at Bayern Munich. Atletico Madrid have stepped up their efforts to sign Leon Goretzka. The Spanish club has now made their first move to sign him in the current transfer window.
According to Marca, Atletico Madrid have made a bid in the €2-3 million region to sign Goretzka before the end of January. The Spanish club is ready to cover Goretzka’s salary at Bayern for the rest of the season. Goretzka is set to become a free agent in June.
Marca has also reported that a transfer agreement between two clubs will not be an issue. Atletico Madrid have reportedly held concrete talks with Goretzka’s agents.
The latest update from Marca has also been confirmed by transfer journalist Matteo Moretto. The ball is in Bayern’s court to make this transfer happen, as Goretzka is reportedly open to making a move to the Spanish capital.
Bayern will have to make a swift decision. Vincent Kompany admitted that talks will take place at the club on Thursday to resolve the situation. The Belgian coach may want to keep hold of Goretzka for the rest of the season since Die Roten are competing on all fronts. Kompany will need a big squad to navigate through the tight schedule.
From a financial point of view, this winter transfer window is the last opportunity for Bayern to get a fee for Goretzka. They had signed him on a free transfer from Schalke in 2018. A permanent transfer to Atletico Madrid in the next couple of days will ensure they will make a profit on him.
Goretzka will get more game time at Atletico Madrid
Despite a good 2024/25 campaign, Goretzka is not a regular starter at Bayern this season. The German midfielder is behind Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic in the central midfield positions. Tom Bischof is also competing with Goretzka for game time.
With the World Cup taking place in the summer, a move to Atletico Madrid will ensure Goretzka gets adequate game time over the next four months. The German midfielder can strengthen his chances of booking a place in Germany’s World Cup squad by excelling at Atletico Madrid.
Goretzka has been a fine player for Bayern over the years. He has helped the club to win multiple trophies, but the time is right for the club to part ways and bring a young midfielder to replace him in either this window or at the end of the season.